Journeys through the New Year

The recent holiday confirmed a healthy travel market amid intensified COVID-19 measures, Yang Feiyue reports. 

Increased pandemic prevention and control measures ensured a steady tourism market during the recent New Year holiday.

Although sporadic COVID-19 cases emerged around the period, domestic tourism players and tourists stayed calm and rational, especially amid the country's effective pandemic response.

The State Council's joint prevention-and-control mechanism against COVID-19 has proposed keeping family and private gatherings to fewer than 10 people during Spring Festival (Feb 11-17).

Relevant prevention-and-control plans should be formulated for an event involving more than 50 people.

Right before the New Year holiday (Jan 1-3), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced continued precautionary measures, including limiting the number of tourists to 75 percent of a scenic spot's capacity, banning outbound tours organized by travel agencies during the holidays and promoting pre-booking at scenic spots.

"I didn't worry too much," says Chen Jing, who just spent the holiday in South China's Hainan province.

The Nanjing, Jiangsu province, resident arrived in the island province's capital, Haikou, in late December to enjoy the warm weather.

Chen visited the Nanshan scenic area in Hainan's Sanya city, a tropical forest and the West Island.

He was reassured when everyone's health codes and temperatures were checked before entering the scenic spots.

"I wore a facemask when there were strangers around and carried sanitizer to wash my hands, especially before eating," Chen says.

Destinations have come up with diverse products to enhance holiday experiences while ensuring safety.

Beijing hosted over 124 cultural programs online during the holiday, which received 1.2 million views.

The capital city also enacted strict measures at about 100 performance events that attracted 56,000 audience members and generated 9.41 million yuan ($1.46 million) in ticket sales.

A total of 160 major scenic spots in Beijing received about 2 million visits during the three-day holiday, up 5.6 percent over the first three days of the May Day holiday (May 1-5). Tourism revenue reached 157 million yuan, a more than 24 percent increase, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.